froufrou Reviews

Lucy (2003 TV Movie)

That grape-stomping scene still rules!

[5 May 2003]

This is clearly a made-for-television movie. The plot line follows the rhythm that allows for commercial advertising breaks. Nonetheless, the form suits the content: how the real-life coupling of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz led to the birth of a new comedic genre - the sitcom.

Ball's goofy and good-natured ability to recount funny stories foreshadowed the eventual development of her unique physical humour. Rachel York uses her considerable talents effectively in her inspired performance as this very contemporary clown. Did Lucille Ball really receive coaching from Buster Keaton and Red Skelton or is this merely a fictional embellishment, creating a bridge between her mostly unknown film roles and her emergence as a television star?

"Lucy" wisely does not recreate many scenes from the original "I Love Lucy" shows, with the stunning exception of the grape-stomping scene. Though the intervening years have provided TV and movie audiences with new comedians, the verve and the brilliance of Lucille Ball, as played in that particular scene, is well worth revisiting.

Deep Sleep (1990)

Well-written and performed psychological thriller

[9/10 · 4 June 1999]

"Deep Sleep" is a well-paced psychological thriller, reminiscent of Hitchcock's "Marnie". It makes appropriate connections between right-wing politics and violence, in the manner of John Sayles' films. Intriguing and worth watching. The lead role is played by Megan Follows (of TV's Anne of Green Gables fame) as an emotionally volatile young woman, a brilliant bit of casting. The plot twists, turns and goes in directions that may surprise the viewer. Solid performances are given by other actors in supporting roles. The controversial issues explored by "Deep Sleep" are not glossed over nor trivialized. The director and writer, Patricia Gruben's creativity, though fueled by her anger, never treats the audience as prisoners to a "correct" polemic or point of view. We are left to understand our own responses to vividly photographed scenes of physical and emotional hide-and-seek that work on many levels. A viewer attentive to the verbal and visual clues may unlock the mystery before the shock ending.